Across The Worlds
by TravelingThroughTime
Summary: Klaatu went home and for long he stayed on the mother ship, until he could take the distance no more. So in an attempt to observe humans for good reasons, he dared to return only to find that three years had come to pass. Klaatu/Helen.
1. Chapter I

**Summary: **Klaatu has been home for a long time but no longer can he stand the distance between him, Helen and Jacob. So he dares to return, only to find that it's been three years.

**Rating: **T for some thematic elements, some possible language and possible adult situations.

**Pairings?**This I'm not sure of. Klaatu was an alien who, well, didn't comprehend the emotions that humans did and as couply as he and Helen looked, I really don't know if falling in love would be likely for either of them. However, I think I've found a truly reasonable way to give everyone a little taste of a softer, more curious Klaatu without bashing his extraordinary personality. So, here it is. If you keep reading, you may catch a glimpse of what could be looked at as a possible Klaatu/Helen moment...or at least as Klaatu/Helen as it can get. The elder in McDonalds learned to comprehend human love, so maybe Klaatu can at least try.

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**~Across The Worlds~**

* * *

**Chapter I**

_What is time and space? Why are there stars around us? Why do most planets have a moon? Why would we need a sun? Who created all of this, what created all of this? Who are we really? What are we? Where did we come from? So many questions float about the Earth and only so few have theories that could be liable answers. All we really know is that all things great and small, living and dying, flying and walking, the moon, the stars, the universe…it is all here for a reason. None of it is overkill or unnecessary. There is a purpose for it all, and it is all of these things that keep us alive on Earth, that give us the chance to survive._

_~Narrator_

~TTT~

Laboriously he sat, thought and contemplated in an idealistic way. His mind full of equations, his hands continuously etching on the glass-like slate that would be equivalent to earth paper, drawing out different plans and design possibilities. They worked him hard, and if his hands weren't drawing they were putting something together - a model of sorts.

The hours in the laboratory were rewarding for one who desired an honorable title - and Klaatu was an ingenious scientist among the colony no doubt. But at times he grew tired, weary in his body and mind, often desiring things that the others would deem as wicked humanistic thoughts. So, to himself the desires remained and he continued doing what he was destined to do - design, construct and build.

He often wondered how it felt to endeavor into the pleasures that human beings shared. He wondered restlessly how their society had grown accustomed to delighting in things they referred to as hobbies and leisure time. For the most part, he thought it strange and maybe even foolish, but on the other hand it engaged his curiosity even further to contemplate on how and why the humans did the things they did and what it felt like to be engulfed with that pleasure.

The doors slipped open, quickly vanishing as a figure stepped through, and quickly they closed behind him.

Klaatu heeded no mind to the male presence as it wandered quietly to lurk over his shoulder. Then the male, cloaked in white, began to speak to him in a tongue that only their race would understand.

"Klaatu, you work long but remain far from finished."

"It is a project that takes much time, Captain." Klaatu replied blandly, never pausing from his work.

"The Colony is expanding quickly. More housing is needed. The machine must be finished soon, Klaatu."

"It will be finished when it is finished." he responded, now glancing the Captain coldly.

"Very well then. You're the scientist. The creator." The alien returned the sneer.

"Then we've come to an understanding at last." Klaatu sounded challenging in his tone and this did not appease the Captain.

For a while the alien stood behind his shoulder, quietly observing the work Klaatu did. Then he broke the silence and said,

"There is to be a council, Klaatu. The Secretary of the Republic has asked me to inform you. The Prime Minister has many important things to discuss and it is important that you appear."

"When is the council?"

"In ninety two hours. We will be expecting you."

"Then I shall come." Klaatu had no desire to ask of what it was - asking was not something they commonly did. For when they were called to do something or attend something they did it. Questions were a rarity and often considered an act of rebellion depending on the situation.

"And Klaatu," the Captain stalled on his way to the exit, speaking abruptly. "Do not disappoint me." he added in reference to the project. "Ever since your return, I've feared for the worse. I think these Earthlings have made you soft. It does not please me."

Klaatu did not respond, he only waited anxiously for the Captain to leave before returning to the task at hand. After the doors had shut behind him and Klaatu was certain that the imbecile was gone, he thought of the malicious beast that held the end of his chain, dangling it before his face in a mocking manner, and he wondered just what he meant by 'soft'.

The control he had over Klaatu was futile. Why he watched him like a hawk was unknowing to him, but Klaatu knew it to be worse since his return - it was as if he suspected something or perhaps wanted to catch Klaatu in some lie. He resented him for saving earth, for believing in the humans, and if the choice was his own the Captain would gladly cast Klaatu into exile. But the Republic had agreed that the humans deserved a second chance, and so Klaatu was at least welcomed back in his own society.

Grunactagu 123456-8908311, a large shuttle that orbited through space near the planet Warranekti. It made up the countless homes of many Colonists, Colonists who worked as scientists, engineers and military, making their home here among many and bringing their families to live in this cold place.

Their families. Klaatu often mused at the young aliens he would see in the halls near the upper floor where the living quarters were, seeing them walk so solemnly alongside their parents.

The offspring here were different from the earth children. They did as they were told and their parents cared for them well, seeing that they were fed, clothed and bathed; but there was no parental love, no child-parent bond. It was all a duty, an instinct to follow like most everything else. It was nothing like Helen and Jacob.

"_Helen…Jacob_." he spoke their names out loud, absentmindedly. It seemed like everything he saw around him threw some small piece of remembrance at him, forcing him to recall the friends he had made on Earth.

Friends...and they were human of all things. Klaatu had only ever thought of himself as a friend to the Earth and nothing more.

They had fascinated and amazed him in ways they didn't know, for the bond they had was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was different, something he couldn't reckon, and Klaatu wondered how the elder, who spoke with him in that strange restaurant, had learned to love the humans, much less comprehend what love was.

What was a bond and how did it feel? What ability did it take to develop feelings for another living thing, feelings that soared beyond _instinct_?

No one here expressed deep and passionate emotions. No one here made the facial expressions nor act in the manner that humans did.

Klaatu tried to stop thinking about them, he tried to stop remembering, but strangely these beautiful creatures were not so easily forgotten.

Often he trailed the long halls near the dissection labs, peering through the glass and catching grim glimpses of the life that had been gathered from the other spheres. The aliens had chosen to take advantage of the creatures they had managed to collect, mainly amphibians, insects, reptiles, rodents, fish and small birds, things they had only ever studied from afar, but now they had the chance to examine these creatures more closely, to conclude what they truly were.

Klaatu thought little of the dissecting, only dwelling on the fascination these creatures brought to him; but a few days back while walking by, he had caught sight of a small bird in one of the cages. It glanced him back, and somehow the creature looked unhappy. If there was one emotion that his people knew how to express, it was coldness, albeit they were unaware.

He lived here like the rest, huddled in the warren in a one roomed dwelling where all necessities were crammed into one area.

He recalled the brief visit to the Professor and the warmth that filtered the air of his home. The strange images of pretty things mounted onto the wall; Klaatu barely noticed it, but as he rendered his own dwelling he began to think more on the human housings and how they appeared to him.

Sitting down on the cold metal chair, he reached for a small device, pressing his thumb against a small button and finishing an errand he had long planned to do, though it wasn't until now that the time to do so had been given. The alien would record his account on Earth.

"This is Klaatu. I have been home for some time, designing a robotic machine that will construct housing at a more efficient rate. I have been here for six months. After the completion of my mission, I have realized that I have brought back some intriguing memories that have been planted into my mind and I have had the privilege of seeing for myself what human behavior is, what it is like and what it means to _them_. And it has come to my attention that there is more to these remarkable creatures than many have given them credit for. They are by far one of the most extraordinary living organisms in the existence of this galaxy,"

The accounting was interrupted by a sudden buzz at the door. Slowly, he carried himself to answer the ringer.

In the hall stood a female, standing firmly behind a small cart topped with dishes of food that would be unappealing to the human tongue. She stared through him somehow and he glanced her momentarily in an almost observing way. In his people he saw little gratitude. In their eyes he saw nothing but blackness, or so it seemed. These were things he never minded before, but ever since his visit to Earth that had changed almost overnight.

Klaatu chose a random plate, bringing it in and returning to his desk where he began to sink his teeth into the squid-like meat. Once finished, he noticed that the food had inspired something else to comment on in his account.

"The earthlings have strange food, often stored in machines in convenient places. During my stay, I noticed that food was a common thing to come by and I assume that the reason for the frequent sights of eating places could be either two things: greed, or some fear of not having enough."

Taking a moment to recollect further thoughts, he went on,

"I will be attending a council before long. I do not know the full purpose of this meeting yet, but I am strongly considering to request the revisiting of Earth for exploration purposes."

To Be Continued…

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**A/N:** Going by his intelligence I assumed that Klaatu would more than likely be somewhat of a scientist/inventor maybe, on his home planet.


	2. Chapter II

**Chapter II**

Gort. Great and terrible in it's design. Immense as it stood. This creation reacted to violence alone and at times it seemed that it was the closest thing Klaatu held for a companion. After the catastrophe it had cast upon Earth, along with Klaatu Gort had returned to it's home, reforming itself once they had arrived.

Mates. Of course these alien people took mates, but again there was no passion in a relationship. To ask Klaatu what passion was or what true love felt like would be fruitless. For he knew no such thing. No one here did. A mate was a companion to an extent, though roses and kisses were not on the chart. It was more of a partnership than anything, to raise offspring and keep the Colony well populated.

Klaatu had not taken a mate. For he had no time, though time really wouldn't be an issue since the females, unlike Earth women, required no dedication from the men folk. They needed no shoulder to cry on - why would they when there were no tears? They wished for no chocolates or to see a movie - what would a movie be to them?

Klaatu was a loner amongst his people. He kept mainly to himself unless requested to do otherwise by his superiors, and when his tasks were done he simply returned to his dwelling where he would remain until the following day. Only when it was quiet and empty would he venture out for a stroll.

~TTT~

"Here, here!" the mallet was pounded against the metal surface, echoing it's plunge throughout the coliseum. "Silence!" the voice followed the pounding, trying to settle the concerned whisperers back into their seats.

Klaatu was silent, sitting still and waiting for the Prime Minister to begin his speech.

"We are gathered here on the account of much needed reassurance. I am aware that many of you have great concerns now for the Colony housings. We all know why so many of us are being transported to Grunactagu, to keep our home planet from reaching it's limits of overpopulation. We are living here to preserve our home planet, to protect it and avoid overwhelming it with our race. For we shan't end up as the Earthlings did. Though fortunately, thanks to Klaatu and his ability to convince mankind to change, we have been able to give the humans another chance to respect our Earth. Klaatu has also been designing a machine that will help _us_expand the size of Grunactagu and add more housing for our Colonists. Though unfortunately, the machine's completion has not been as soon as many of us had hoped." The Minister's voice was prim and formal, yet melancholy.

During the Prime Minister's speech, Klaatu glimpsed the Captain who sat and stared into him mockingly.

"Now, besides that dilemma there is another. We have received a threatening message from a our neighboring planet Yukilucten. It appears that the Yukilen people are rebelling against our plans to restore the planet to a more natural atmosphere. It is possible that we may have to destroy these people in order to do so."

Klaatu stood and the Prime Minister glanced him, waiting for him to speak.

"And you want me to go and warn them?" he questioned. The Minister nodded. "Then I will, but only if granted a request of my own."

Whispers filtered the air, whispers that questioned Klaatu and doubted him as a loyal. The Prime Minister was reluctant, but at last he said,

"And what request would this be, Klaatu?"

"A request to further research the human race."

Now the whispering grew louder and more abundant.

"The human race?" The Minister furrowed his grey temples doubtfully.

"These creatures need to be studied, Prime Minister. If we do not learn more about who they are as a people, their cultures, their beliefs and society, we may not be able to keep the Earth safe, not unless we can fully understand the mechanics behind the human mind and what makes it click."

"Learn of them? This is folly!" The Captain roared across the podium.

"Silence, Captain Huroc." The Minister growled. "Let Klaatu finish his words."

"It is not nonsense, I can assure you. During my stay, I witnessed extraordinary behavior between individuals - distinctive personality traits. Not to mention their ways of living, that are by far, fascinating."

"Klaatu, it does not please my ears to think that you find human culture fascinating in any way. These people are greedy, wasteful and destructive. You know this." the Minister said.

"But they _can_ change. You've seen it happening through your distant watching of them. They _are_trying." Klaatu argued.

"Yes Klaatu, but we had to nearly destroy the Earth to get them to adjust. They had to be forced against their natural will."

"The point is this; our scientists have enjoyed the dissection of the animal life brought back in the other spheres, and you've relished in the confirming of new conclusions they've made by examining these creatures. So why not allow me to revisit Earth so that I may do so among the humans?"

"Are you saying that you wish to dissect human beings? It's only been done by few species." the Captain reconciled.

"No." Klaatu corrected him. "I want to observe them."

"Why Klaatu? It is not your field to observe any life form, let alone something as a human. Of course the collection of animal life has been of great value to our studies, but humans are not of the same quality to us, they are not of the same importance." the Prime Minister informed.

"But like every living thing, they have a purpose. You cannot deny this." Klaatu argued.

"They destroy everything in their path. And even if they do change their ways for the sake of their own existence, it shall only last for a while. They will slip up again. Just wait and see." the Captain sneered

"Prime Minister, if you grant me this one request, I will not disappoint you or the Colonists and I will go to our neighboring planet and give whatever message you wish me to give. But you will have to grant me this."

The Prime Minister was apprehensive, even fearful of the results.

"And you promise to only study these humans, without any interaction whatsoever?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

"But Prime Minister, what of the machine? He has duties here that need to be tended." the Captain suggested bitterly.

"And he shall tend them on his return. Klaatu, I will grant you one month to return to Earth and do your research but you will go alone and you will take one of our shielded space pods. We cannot afford to be detected."

"Thank you."

And so it was decided.

~TTT~

Klaatu wandered the halls after the council, slipping in and out of the elevators and making his way to the laboratory; but in the corners of his shadows watched prying eyes that resented him.

"_Curse you, Klaatu." _

Resentment. The Captain was certainly capable of that.

To Be Continued…

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**A/N:**My apologies for not posting this chapter as soon as I said I would. Something important came up disabling me from uploading it until today. Chapter three is in the works. Also, I hope I'm assuming correctly on the fact that Gort was built from the small, robotic insects. Alex Stark, I may need you to fill me in on Gort a bit more if ya could. lol. I'd appreciate it!


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

Glass walls surrounded him and hot steam vaporized the stiff air. He let his head cock back, gently, allowing the steam to bead against his face. His open eyes were wide, but slowly he closed them, blocking everything away from his mind.

Everything was gone, everything was blanketed in utter silence, nothingness; that was until it came tapping against the border of his memory wall again, resurrecting things that had come to pass yet still had left him with mind-scars.

_He shed, and the room felt cold against his pale, sickly skin. His head was bare and he was like death cast out of a casket. For all eyes were upon him, strange, frightening eyes, and he could feel them all around him._

_Then there came the pain, the agonizing strikes of a mortal wound. They had done this to him, they had shot him, and it all looked dark to him now._

_He felt numb under the light and breathing was dense. He was shaken, weakened and he knew his body had succumbed to them for that one moment. _

_He was a progeny that had been sent here, only to be at the mercy of so many Earthlings, at least for the time being. But in the passing of those tense hours of which his eyes allowed him no sight, they suddenly opened and he felt blood circulating through his veins, making him warm and strengthened._

_Wait, he was trapped. What was this device he had been laid in? What had they done to him, put him in? Where was he? What was to become of his body?_

_Vulnerability had angered him and the rage fueled his arms and legs with the force they needed to fight, to fight and struggle to break through the shield. _

_Outside he heard voices talking of him. _

_Look at him, see what he wants…That's what they seemed to say although he didn't know for sure. Everything was still fuzzy and painful. He felt like he was in a barrier of acute human agony._

_Then there came the face, the one who was gentle, the one who was different from the rest. She glared at him through the cut out, and there was a warmth in her. Her eyes seemed to reach out to him, to want fear and rage to leave him; and as long as she was there looking and speaking at him, he was calm. For it was she who had nearly lent her hand to him…and he was alright until she left._

Klaatu's eyes shot open and the vision escaped his mind, clattering away in a scramble as anxiety rushed throughout him. He jolted in the glass walls of the shower, beating against the door and attempting to escape. The steam was still hot against him and all he could think of was getting out; but the door remained tight.

He stopped, collapsed to the floor and as his head hit the glass it shattered violently, scattering all about the floor.

He crawled out like a naked beast, fingering for the grip he longed to have on the bed. Once the sheets were in his clasp, he pulled himself up and huddled weakly in a fetal position. His skin burned and bled where he crunched the broken glass beneath him during his crawl.

"I need…" he gasped as he shivered, pulling the covers over him in a shaken haste. "I need…" but the sentence was never finished, for his eyes fell shut again and this time he did not wake until the following morning.

What happened in that moment to make him react in such a way? What fear came over him? He did not know. He would give thought to it tomorrow.

~TTT~

Three years after their parting with Klaatu, Helen Benson and her son Jacob went back to normal. As normal as they could be hence the catastrophic event that had unfolded, sending the entire world into a practical financial crisis. So many things had been destroyed, demolished and so many lives had been lost. Times became hard for everyone and everything but on the plus side, they were given another chance.

Helen leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping the warm cocoa that steamed against her lips as she watched Jacob engulf himself in the delight of waffles, bacon and cheese eggs. What a breakfast indeed.

"Is it good?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's good." he replied between bites. "Aren't you gonna eat some, Mom?" his eyes never strayed from the plate.

"I've already had some toast." she replied, sipping her mug.

"Okay then." he shrugged.

So many things had come to pass in their life. So many great events, some of them more tolerable than others. For one thing Jacob had lost his father and Helen her husband. For another they had both been caught up in the middle of a catastrophic web of events, barely holding on as they struggled to survive in Earth's final moments. And then, during that event, there had been Klaatu.

Immediately, Helen shoved him out of her wandering mind. Each time she thought about him she felt a grim longing and she didn't want to face it much less acknowledge that it was there.

As for Jacob, he seemed to finally be the one who was learning to adjust and live on, moving about day by day and getting closer and closer to being a young man. Now it seemed that Helen was trapped in a past life vortex that wanted to suck her in and hold her prisoner. She had been pleasant, but Jacob knew she was quieter.

"Well," he said, gathering his empty plate and bringing it to the sink. "I guess I'd better go on. Can't be late for school."

"You certainly can't." she smiled as she leaned over to kiss him. "Be careful."

"I will Mom."

"See you later."

"You too."

She hated to hear the door shut. Each day it meant that she would be left alone for endless hours here in the quiet walls of the house.

The historic neighborhood of a small fisherman's village in Maine had been a fine relief from everything that had happened. It was the escape they needed; and with the success of Helen's book making a best seller, they didn't hurt for money.

Surprisingly, Jacob had not minded the move from New York to this little place that felt like it was hidden at the top of the world. He rather liked the escape, the change. And he relished in the extra time he and Helen had together. Being here had healed them and brought them closer, but secretly Helen still had her visions, her questions, trying to settle reality from fiction.

At times she was overwhelmed with herself and restless. But somehow she managed to smile. There were too many things to be thankful for than to let a troubled mind come between her and her son.

Aside from that, Helen didn't mind the visiting of the old Library that was merely a few blocks from their house, nestled in the heart of the small town in it's timeless brick and stonework. Often she would sit quietly, frequently peering over the boundaries of a book and glancing all of the not-so-interesting-people hither and thither. Of course, maybe they would be more interesting had she never been from a place like New York, much less befriend an alien of all things, not to mention the field she had worked in where she met interesting folk who expressed themselves with intriguing theories.

The Library was quiet, an almost illuminating place of peace. In fact, Helen had forgotten how much she treasured novels and mysteries until her move here.

What a way to escape science and Government policies…a little town in the middle of nowhere.

At times she mused at the few couples she would see walking along the little streets that lined the quaint little coffee shops, fish houses and boutiques with hand in hand, tiring herself with the longing of her beloved husband. Now Jacob was the only thing in the world that she really felt was hers.

The walk home was silent, her boots padding gently against the pavement. Glancing the sky, she suddenly felt tattered in her spirit, for it was grey and cloudy now and the thunder seemed to be rolling in the far coastal distance like marble upon granite.

She stood, taking a moment to render her house as she stood outside the picket fence. It was such a charming place; it's white wood siding and Victorian architecture. It was a one-story, large windows and a fine porch for sitting. The yard was small with a couple of dogwoods edging the fence, shading the sidewalks at certain hours of the day. There was a small bird bath in the yard and rose shrubs against the side.

It was in much need of tender love and care when she purchased it at an unusually cheap price - considering the area - but she had brought it back to life, she and Jacob.

It was home.

**To Be Continued.**

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**A/N:** TravelingThroughTime would like to apologize to all of her loyal readers for the lack of updates. She would also like to apologize for the short length of this chapter. However, she promises a longer chapter for the following, not to mention that it will be posted much sooner than this. Life and other fanfics have stolen much of her time and she appreciates your understanding. As a side note, will this be a Klaatu/Helen romance? You'll have to keep reading to find out! *giggles*


	4. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

Klaatu's hand rested upon the lever as he sat rather rusty in the cramped drivers seat. The small shuttle was sharp and sleek in it's design and silver in it's color, or so it looked - for when it glided through space and sailed into the atmosphere of other planets it was undetectable. It's body mirrored everything it passed, and it's design was built so that it may go freely to wherever the driver wished without being tracked. These shuttles were seldom used, and rare to come by - so Klaatu was ever grateful to have it.

"What about G.O.R.T.?" he had asked before his leave. Captain Huroc despised the term as it was indeed something the humans had labeled it to be. For G.O.R.T., as Klaatu referred, had another name here. Yet somehow this title had been kept - as far as Klaatu was concerned.

"It will remain here, under our supervision." Huroc told him.

"That will be most reasonable - for the sake of the humans. G.O.R.T. would be of much danger among them." Klaatu complied.

"Yes. So he would." There was a sneer in Huroc's tone and a devious one at that - one that unearthed a subconscious suspicion within Klaatu's mind. Huroc saw the glare that Klaatu expressed, and he seemed to quickly recover his mask in the instant saying; "You are right. We cannot allow…G.O.R.T. as you have christened it, to bring further destruction to Earth."

"It is not I who christened G.O.R.T. but the humans."

"Yes, I know. Well Klaatu, try not to become so easily distracted with any possible fascinations. Keep in mind that this is in fact an assignment, not a holiday." With that, Huroc left him and much of the Colony watched his take off into the abyss of space.

At highly unmatched and unmarked speeds Klaatu traveled, though it hardly felt that he was traveling so fast as he was. The shuttle, despite it's cramped quarters, was rather smooth in it's ride.

He set the shuttle for it's destination, and afterwards he retired into the sleep chamber of which he would remain unconscious for many weeks until his Earth-bound arrival.

One week came by during his sleep, then another and another and finally, the last week passed and he was awaken automatically as he had programmed the sleep chamber to do. The lid seized open and a mild steam evaporated out of the container from whence he was bound. He rose slowly, clad only in what could be equivalent to a man's boxers. He yanked off the cords that attached themselves to his chest and he removed the IV that fed him through his wrist. He slipped from the chamber. He was dressed in very little time but his stomach was not empty, for the IV had fed him well.

Klaatu seated himself back into the drivers seat, readying the shuttle and himself to enter Earth's atmosphere. It wouldn't be long now, he thought.

The closer he came to this little Planet, the more his heart wanted to squeeze. There were so many memories here, memories that had come from only a single day. Some of them were bad - the bullet wound, the inciting humans who held him captive, who hunted and provoked what he was trying to achieve - and then there were the others, Helen and Jacob.

It was strange how kind they were, well, Helen to say the least. Young Jacob on the other hand had been apprehensive in trusting an alien, but Klaatu held it not against him. For it was no surprise that a boy would react in such a way - he was afraid.

Helen however was different. She had fascinated Klaatu so very much with her curious ways - they were curious to him because women folk of his race did not indicate such extraordinary traits, much less the passion that Helen had…the passion and determination for human beings. She had wanted so much for Klaatu to understand, to be willing to give them yet another chance to show that they could in fact change. He was not for this at all, and many times he tried to explain to Helen that they were in fact 'unchangeable', but in time he learned, becoming constantly amazed by these profound creatures that he had long thought to be inefficient to some extents. They had changed his mind indeed - Helen had changed his mind.

He couldn't help but wonder what Helen and Jacob would be doing now. He mused on how they might have went back to living - possibly remaining in their home city as he reckoned New York to be. But when the shuttle suddenly began to rumble loudly and his seat began to vibrate beneath him, he dropped all recollection of Helen and Jacob and instead became frantic in trying to decipher what could be happening.

"What is wrong?" he asked himself as he pulled the lever and began scanning the controls. His mind came to a conclusion at last - the shuttle's engine was shutting down, for reasons predominantly unknown to him - the last result would be putting the thing into neutral and attempt a safe landing. With no motion being transmitted with the help of the engine - that was now shut off - he pulled a final lever, one that extended gentle wings of metal about the sides of the shuttle and he kept his hands upon the gliding controls, zooming silently over great masses of wooded land. He was tense, though he tried to remain calm.

Now the shuttle was coming to a close near the treetops and Klaatu did not utter useless words. He flew into the trees at great speed - though slower than a landing plane - and a crash he made; a crash that left him unconscious or possibly worse…dead.

~TTT~

"Daddy, did you hear that?"

"I sure as hell did Charlene." The old man stood from his tractor, climbing down to his feet and scratching his partially bald head. The young girl, perhaps nineteen to reckon her age, came and stood beside her father with an old blood hound by her.

"Whatcha reckon it could be, daddy?"

"I don't know. But I want you ta go back in the house with yer Granny."

"What are ya gonna do?"

"I'm gone go on out there and see what the hell it was. I sure didn't see no plane comin' in."

"You want me ta getcher rifle?"

"Rifle? What do I need a rifle fer?"

"I don't know…could be an alien or somethin'."

"Now there you go with them dang crazy alien stories. I ain't lettin' you watch no more of them damn UFO shows."

"Ah, come on, daddy! I was just getting' yer goat."

"Well go on back in. Me and ol' Rufus here'll go and see what that was."

"Can I come?"

"No gal."

"Please daddy? Let me go along!"

"Alright, alright. But you best keep close, Charlene. I can't have you wanderin' and strayin' through them there woods, ya hear?"

"Yes sir." the red haired girl replied, rolling her eyes and finding herself annoyed by her father's overprotective ways.

~TTT~

"Hot dang! Whoowee!" The man began to fan himself with his trusty camouflage cap. "It's hot out here."

"You reckon it was a meteor?" Charlene asked.

"I sure hope so. We could probably get a lot of money for findin' somethin' like that out here. Ya know, them scientists are always lookin' for rocks from outer space."

"I know daddy, I watch TV all the time."

"Well I'm just sayin',"

"Hey daddy, look!" she pointed and the old man's eyes followed her illustration.

"Wh-what the hell is that?"

"Let's go check it out."

"Charlene! Charlene! Hold up just a minute!" He struggled to keep up with his daughter's leaps through the woods and the hound by his side howled with interest. "Charlene, be careful!"

"Daddy, come here quick!"

"What is it?" the old man asked, climbing breathlessly over the mound that bowled round a small crater that exposed the end tip of a space craft. "Holy shit! …Well, I'll be damned." he expressed, planting his fists upon his hips.

"Daddy, what the hell do ya think it is?"

"Hell, I don't know. Looks like some sort of plane."

"Don't look like no plane I ever saw, unless the Government was testin' a new project out."

"Well if that's the case then there's likely somebody in there. Here, let me get on down here and see."

"Careful daddy."

"Boy, this thing sure did clean out a few trees." said the old man, referring to the great abundance of woodland rubble that circled round the perimeter of the crash site.

"Ya see anybody?"

"Oh shit. Charlene, you ain't gone believe this."

"What daddy? What is it?"

"I'm lookin' through the cracked glass of this here windshield and there's a man inside." With no further thought the old man began to pry open the shield and after the long effort and the tossing of tree limbs from his daughter, the prying was a success and the body was now accessible.

"Is he alive?"

"I'm checkin' his pulse." the old man shouted back, "Yep, this one's alive but he's unconscious."

Rufus the hound barked anxiously at the scene.

"Charlene, get on down here and help me pull him out. This feller's heavy!"

"Hang on, I'm comin'! Pipe down, Rufus."

~TTT~

Klaatu didn't move, but merely gave a slight groan. His body pained him and it weakened his mobility. All he felt he could truly do was rest; and at the sound of the whispering voices around him he decided that that was in fact what he wanted to do - to keep his eyes shut and remain as still as he could until he felt it safe.

The voices came in small bouts, seeming to come and go from wherever it was. They were like the sudden attack of an illness plaguing his mind with stress and worry.

Something was uttered about a Hospital, or calling an ambulance. Then another was a denial, a 'let us wait' sort of reply. Then another voice shrouded his ears, saying something to the others about the offering of a meal, and the other two vocals denied saying that the 'stranger' was still sleeping.

"Looks like he's waken' up." Charlene said, excitement rambling within her. "Golly, he's kinda cute."

With that said, her father shook his head, giving her and uncanny look.

"Now don't you go gettin' any ideas, gal. This feller here's at least thirty somethin'."

"Who cares?" Charlene said under her breath. "He must make plenty of money workin' for the Government or Air Force."

"He's waken' up!" her father said hopefully after a couple of quick shushings.

Klaatu moaned yet again, tilting his head from one side to another on the pillow. He felt weary and shaken and his body must've been bruised - particularly about the ribs of which he was the sorest.

At length his eyes shot open, wild and almost animal-like in the company of these strangers. The bright smiles of great inches that were painted upon their faces unnerved him even further and he raised from the bed, wincing and cringing as he did.

"Ya feel alright?" the old man asked, his voice sounding ever eager to please. Klaatu was yet to reply, for he much wanted to observe them a little more first, take them in and render his surroundings as he sat upward on the bed. It seemed they had placed him into some sort of room.

"We found ya in the woods. Yer plane thing was crashed."

"Plane." The word was not uttered as a question but rather a reiteration, like a parrot recalling a speech that had been absent from it's tongue for so long. And English was indeed something Klaatu had not spoken in months - his own tongue had been his constant language of late.

"Uh…" the old man said, rubbing his head - a habit of his. "Yes sir. You remember anything?"

"Remember."

"Hey daddy," Charlene whispered, not wanting their strange guest to hear, "You reckon he's crazy or somethin'?"

"Quiet." the old man told her, then he looked back upon Klaatu who's expression was blank considering his apparent interest in all things around him. "Sir, you gotta name?"

_You gotta name_? The question rung through his mind again but Klaatu would not answer this. Then into the room entered what appeared to be an elderly female and judging by her voice, Klaatu reckoned it to be the same one who had asked about his hunger during his slumber.

"Oh my!" she beamed, her voice soft yet crooked; her hand resting upon her breast. "Is he hungry?"

"I don't know." replied the old man. "He ain't said much." then he turned back to Klaatu. "You want some food in yer gut, son?"

"Food. What nourishments can you offer?"

"Oh," The old man, as well as everyone else, seemed delighted by his question concerning nourishment. "Well we got some frozen hamburger patties, some pork chops from yesterday and Granny here's makin' chicken livers and cornbread. Is livers and cornbread okay?"

"That will do."

"You'll love Granny's cornbread." Klaatu glanced the red haired girl who broke out at him in sudden words like an enthusiastic child. "They're sweet and soft."

He did not comprehend this, he knew not of 'cornbread and livers', but he welcomed it and knew very well that it was food. Otherwise they wouldn't offer him to eat it.

When the hot plate was brought, the old man and his daughter seemed more amused by the watching of Klaatu's every bite rather than their own. The old woman, who had brought the plates, left the room brusque as if too uneasy to remain in the stranger's company - for her part at least.

Klaatu ignored them, though he was always aware of their eyes. He finished quickly, finding a place beside him atop a nightstand to rest the plate and retrieve his requested glass of water. He drank it like a thirsty camel, and when he finished, the sound of the glass being sat upon the table sent a curt sound to the ears of the family who had grown too use to the room's silence, save the rattling and clinging of the silverware that Klaatu handled awkwardly.

"Ya liked it?" Charlene asked.

"It was satisfying for my hunger." he merely replied.

"Oh." Charlene furrowed her brows, trying to comprehend the form of the reply.

"You wanna tell us where yer from?" asked the old man who received yet again no response. "Maybe we should introduce ourselves first." he coughed, "I'm Joe Cook and this here's my daughter Charlene. The old lady who brought ya that good meal there is my mother, Granny Cook, course' we just call her Granny. We're from Texas originally, but we been liven' up here in the North."

Again, Klaatu did not comment, though he appeared to be listening. Outside, Rufus' barks could be heard and loud they were, for he was tied to a tree near the porch and he was upset by the guest. In this, Klaatu cast his attention towards the window near his bedside where he caught a good glimpse of the frantic dog.

"The animal appears to be upset." he commented.

"Oh that's just ol' Rufus. I think he's gotta belly ache."

"Ya cause usually he's sweet as pie." Charlene added.

"Sweet… as pie." Klaatu mused the phrase and Charlene gave into a giggle. He glanced her curiously and she covered her mouth quickly, her father sighing at her.

"I'm sorry," she snickered gently, "It's just kinda funny soundin' how you say things…cause yer so serious and all."

"Charlene." her father grumbled.

"Well he is, daddy! Sides' ain't nothin' wrong with a little old laugh."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with manners either." her father threw back, kindly. Charlene rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Now ain't ya gone tell us yer name? We can't help ya with yer airplane there until ya tell us a little more about yerself." the old man pressed.

_Yer airplane, yer airplane, yer airplane, yer airplane_…. The words continuously soured through Klaatu's mind, and at last he jolted from the bed, wincing as he did and digging from his strange clothing a small device of some sort. The old man and his daughter watched in utter silence as the stranger closed in on them. Then, before anyone could react, Klaatu pushed the small control against the old man's head, and Charlene squealed out as her father went into a zombie-like state.

"Hey! Hey you! What the hell are you doin'?!"

When Charlene came within attacking distance of Klaatu, he suddenly turned on her, bolting around like a snake about to strike and from that point the device was pushed against her own skull and after that it all turned bleak.

Stepping back, he began to question them.

"Where am I?"

"Mallordville Maine." the old man replied, his mouth moving steadily beneath his white mustache in the way of a robot programmed to obey.

"Are there others who live near your dwelling and the woods?"

"No. Ain't nobody round here for forty miles. The woods are mine. Nobody goes there."

"Where can I find a great abundance of civilization?"

"Closest town is Lubec."

"In which direction must I travel to find Lubec?"

"North East of here." the old man, who normally knew not his own directions, suddenly pointed towards the North East and he was numb of it the whole time. From there, Klaatu began to speak unto them.

"You will both forget my existence, you will also forget the discovery of my shuttle, the object you found in the woods. You will remain here at you dwelling and you will not, under any circumstance return to the woods."

"We will remain here and away from the woods." the two victims repeated together.

"I am leaving you now." He paused, "I will need clothes." He rendered the build of the man, seeing that he was far wider in width than Klaatu. "Never mind. Your clothing is inefficient to my needs." He reached for the window near the bed, pushing it open and climbing out in stealth. The dog barked on continuously, but when Klaatu stared him, the poor beast whimpered and cowered beneath the porch.

Granny came bursting into the room after his leave, to see what the commotion was. By this time, the old man and his daughter had been released from their daze.

"Wh-" the old woman's grey eyes wavered about the room, seeing that the guest was gone. "Where's the young man?"

At last, her son reached her words with his somewhat stunned ears and he heeded to her.

"What young man?"

The old woman thought for some time that her son was in fact joking.

"What?" she questioned him, "What do you mean? I'm talking about the very young man you claim you found."

"Granny, I know you're well into your nineties and I in my late fifties, but I always thought yer mind to be good and stable."

"Are you callin' me crazy?"

"I don't know. Not unless I am. Why would there be a young man here?"

"Then what are you and Charlene doin' in this here guest bedroom?"

The old man thought for a moment, realizing that his mother did in fact hold a fine point to that particular matter.

"I don't know," he said, looking at his silent daughter. "What are we doin' in here?"

"I don't know, daddy. But I got a mighty bad headache."

"So do I." the old man mused in his confusion. "And I think Granny is losin' it."

The old woman tilted her head, confused and bewildered by her own mind. She worried, being a woman of her age, that she was crazy, that her son was right.

"Oh dear." she fretted. "Am I seeing Ghosts, perhaps?"

~TTT~

Klaatu ventured away from the isolated farm and back into the woods to his shuttle, holding his side and trying not to stumble in his lameness. He hoped to resolve the situation at hand - to fix what ever damage the vehicle had been laid with. As he thought on the many possibilities for the shuttle's poor performance, he couldn't help but recall Huroc's face - not to mention his sneer.

To Be Continued.


	5. Chapter V

**A/N:** This chapter is very random because we transverse from what is happening to Klaatu and then Helen and Jacob.

* * *

**Chapter V**

It wasn't plausible, he thought; the condition of his small shuttle. Here was now, damaged and broken in the woods. All hope of communication with his people was gone.

Night shrouded over the woods and Klaatu found - rather miserably - that the tenderness of his side had grown into a brutal ache. He winced and cringed wanting to grab it all the while, but each time he did so, the soreness scowled at his touch. It was a deep agony, one that came in little bundles of random pain. If he moved it hurt, if he breathed it hurt, if he stood still it hurt.

He slipped out of the fitted dark sweater-like clothing that covered his upper body - it was an uncomfortable endeavor - to look upon his side in the early mists before dawn, and he could see that the bruising was large in it's size, purple and swollen also. Along with the fault of his space craft, this too added to his list of dilemmas.

At least he still had his Photonic Journal, he thought. Twas a shame it didn't have a built-in communicator.

"I have made an inadequate landing. The shuttle suddenly shut down in the passing through Earth's atmosphere. It seems, from what I have learned from two humans who fed me, that I am somewhere in Maine. I have no way of communication and at this point no way of transport. I have no other choice but to travel to Lubec - a place nigh here. I hope to find more suitable shelter, clothing and food on my arrival. I will attempt to catch a ride somehow…if roads are within good distance. I took a harsh wound in my landing. My side is very bruised and from what little I can tell, my ribs may be fractured. The pain has worsened in the coming of hours, and it continues to get worse."

Klaatu closed his line, turning off the Photonic Journal and slipping it into a small satchel he had managed to pull out from the shuttle.

Before trailing off, he took a last moment to glance back at the shuttle, hoping that his journey to Lubec would be promising. He hoped to find some way to return - to repair the damage done - but for now he was in no condition to work, and his best bet - with food rations being low - would be to leave. And so he did.

In that deep place he went on in dire haste, finding a path beneath a southern wall of stone where there lay a narrow strand. And when night came, and the creek rushed on unseen, save for a glint of high stars mirrored in the dark water when the trees allowed for it, he rested and slept; for beside that water he felt no fear, though the pain to his side remained still.

~TTT~

Three years ago Helen Benson watched as the Sphere - the one of which had absorbed Klaatu - left the Earth. All that day it seemed she and Jacob sat quietly near that very spot, staring mindfully at the sky and thinking about Klaatu - not to mention all that had come to play in that one day. They were so grateful in their hearts and yet, so very overwhelmed. Neither of them knew that changing the mind of an Alien would be easy, and yet they had - well, Helen did.

When night came to pass, Jacob grew tired at last. The Military was everywhere it seemed, searching and scavenging through rubble - searching for civilians. As for Helen and Jacob, they were being guarded by a group of armed men, though both of them were almost numb to their presence. Their minds were far too drenched with other things for the time being. At last, one soldier had decided it time to take the 'hostages' to wherever. Jacob was tired and hungry and at last Helen stood - with the escorting of a soldier - and to the stars she looked one last time before they pushed her into the armed truck to utter;

"Thank you."

That was three years ago.

Yes, Helen Benson might have become a national criminal had it not been for the President - with the encouragement of a few others - granting her pardon. It didn't hurt either that dear old Professor Barnhardt pulled a few strings to ensure her justice for the helping of an Alien.

Toady, Helen and Jacob Benson were living out their lives in a more quiet part of the country. In fact, this little place might have been the quietest of towns. It was after all, the farthest little town in the North East.

It was often cold here, but strangely it didn't snow like one might expect; and that reason had a lot to do with it's location being as it was, about the waters where it was always breezy, with mainly the sound of gulls calling about the shores. It was strange, this weather, because often, near the coast it was warmer. Yet, the further inland you were, the more prone to be cooler it would be. It was weird, but Helen like it.

Every night, since that final day, Helen and Jacob had found themselves taking at least an hour each night before bed, just star gazing in a quiet solace. But it was more than a mere therapy session and it was so much more than admiring the twinkling stars and bright moon, save when the sky was cloudy. It was a sense of closure for both of them, a way of looking on - they hoped - at the same stars Klaatu could be looking at.

In time however, Jacob had grown busy with other things. He had made several friends, some of them country boys that lived outside of town, others were just good kids that lived nearby. He was busy, and often he skipped out on star gazing with Helen. He went to bed earlier - wanting to awake early even on Friday night so that he may have more time with his friends who also woke after the rising of the sun. But Helen's promise of star gazing had not yet faltered, and in her heart she hoped that she would always be a star gazer, sitting beneath the warmth of her shawl upon the rocking chair on the porch. She laughed at herself at times, musing at how much she had become like her Grandmother, sitting on the front porch of an old house, wrapped in a shawl and sipping coffee or warm tea, watching the night soar by.

She liked it. There wasn't another place on Earth so peaceful as this, she thought. The only thing missing was her beloved husband. She knew that Jacob still longed for him as well; she could see it in his face on those rainy days.

~TTT~

Klaatu crunched and clamored through the woods. He wandered, it seemed, for endless days in circles. He was growing tired and weary and his small rations were not lasting as long as his hunger. Then in the coming of one night, he fingered angrily through the dark of trees, listening and following the faint sound of cars. At last, he stood and looked down from the hill of which he stood onto a dark, long stretch of road. He climbed down, clumsily and wincing with agony. His side ached ever on but it had died down a little. So, he went warily thither until his feet were but some small length of feet from the road. He stood all night, like a motionless scarecrow, his hand extended upward and his palm in a nonmoving wave. He remained in that stance until morning, and when afternoon rolled around a small car at last stopped.

The very young man inside, sitting in the drivers seat, rolled down his window and gave Klaatu a curious grin.

"Where ya headed?" he asked.

"Lubec." the Alien replied.

"Lubec? We're headed that way. You need a lift?"

"Yes." he replied.

"Get on in. There's room in the back."

Klaatu did so, and once inside he gave a solemn 'thank you' . It was then that he noticed in the front passenger seat a young girl, presumably the mate of the very young man, and beside Klaatu was a sleeping woman, perhaps in her twenties.

The very young man and his overly happy girlfriend took notice of Klaatu's curious staring upon the girl sleeping next to him.

"That's Molly." said the girl upfront. "She uh…got a little drunk." then, along with the very young man, she burst into a small snicker of mischief.

"So," the very young man began once they had begun moving down the solitary road. "You from around here?"

"Somewhat." Klaatu replied.

"What's your name?" asked the smiling girl.

"My name is my own affair."

"O-kay….?" the very young man furrowed his brows. "You uh, working undercover or something?"

"Somewhat." And with each following question they would only receive a mere 'somewhat', if even that. At last the couple grew quiet and cautious, no longer intrigued in questioning Klaatu. The smiling girl was smiling no more now and eventually she leant forward to whisper into her lover's ear.

"How much further to Lubec? This guy is giving me the creeps."

"Not much further." he assured her in the same volume of speech.

"This is far enough." Klaatu said. "Pull over here." The very young man did just that.

"This is a rest stop." he said, parking the car.

"This will do." said Klaatu. And like that, he was gone. The sleeping girl would've never known had it not been for her friends upfront informing her when at last she grew sober.

Klaatu knew he wasn't far now. A good walk of fifteen miles and he'd be there. Though reaching Lubec may or may not have been promising for him. His only way of knowing however was to go on.

~TTT~

"Jacob," Helen's voice called loudly over the steaming frying pan that scrambled a fine deal of cheese eggs. "are you coming down?!" she called, stirring and keeping her eyes focused on the cooking.

"I'm coming, Mom!" Jacob called back from atop the stairs, and not long after he came sliding down on the wide rail, swinging quite acrobatically into the breakfast nook of the kitchen.

"Jacob!" Helen fussed, scraping the eggs into two porcelain dishes. "How many times do I have to keep telling you not to do that?"

"Do what?" Jacob questioned, inattentively as he took his seat before the fine plate of hot food.

"I don't know," Helen said, placing one hand on her hip and looking over him, the frying pan still clutched in her other hand. "The railing. It's an old house. We have to take care of it."

"Come on, Mom. I was just having fun."

"Can't you save it for the skate park?"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"That's a good boy." she smiled, laying the pan back on the stove and fitting into her own chair. "Now, let's bless the food and eat. I'm starved."

"Me too."

The breakfast was savored with merry hearts, both of them carrying on about what they could do to amuse themselves this fine weekend.

"Why not go to the beach?" Jacob suggested.

"The beach?" Helen asked, biting down on her fork of waffle.

"Yeah, you know. We could have a picnic and maybe even fly our kites. Like old times."

Like old times….It seemed so long ago since their last visit to the ocean, even with them living here. The last memory they shared in going to such a place was with 'Dad'.

"Are you sure?" Helen wanted to be certain that visiting the beach wouldn't be too much emotional stress on Jacob. It was after all one of the favorite past times he and his father shared. She knew he had grown stronger, but that didn't guarantee that the pain was gone.

"Yeah mom." he said smiling, wiping his syrup-tainted fingers with the damp napkin. "I think that dad would like that."

At this, Helen smiled and Jacob turned away from her, an assuring grin upon his own face. He knew his mother was relieved. Yes, his mother. He had forgotten the Step-mom title.

"Alright," she said, "We'll go tomorrow."

"Cool."

"Cool." Helen said, and they both exchanged chuckles.

The following morning, the two awoke early, spending at least an hour and a half packing a fine lunch. Jacob gathered two small folding chairs from the shed in the backyard along with two kites while Helen put some towels in the back of the SUV in case Jacob wanted to get wet. She however preferred to stay dry. It was a bit windy in this May month.

"Okay kiddo, you ready?"

"I'm ready, Mom."

"Okay, put your seatbelt on. Pretty soon you'll be driving me around."

"Can't wait."

"I can." she teased. Jacob smiled and rolled his eyes.

The drive was nice, a relaxation for the both of them and they couldn't resist singing along to one of Jacob's favorite songs that was playing on the radio…Wild Thing.

~TTT~

Klaatu had arrived in Lubec fifteen minutes ago. His tired legs had held him up from arriving earlier, but he was glad to be here nonetheless. Looking around, he found this little place quiet, peaceful and quaint; but wherever he walked, suspicious eyes were upon him. This made the Alien wary for his own identity. He hoped that the humans would not recognize him as that wanted fugitive some years back - though Klaatu reckoned it to only be months since. Often he would turn corners or glance away, avoiding contact with these creatures as much as possible.

"I need suitable clothing so that I may blend in with this clan." He thought, and his eyes wavered about the street until they were cast upon a gruff bearded fellow, leaning against an old brick fish house, drinking a beer and laughing with two other old fellows. The man was dressed similar to most other men Klaatu had seen, wearing a flannel button up jacket and blue jeans.

"Taking clothes by force would be risky. I cannot risk my reputation in this small place. I assume these people of Lubec to be similar to the small, ignorant tribes found on the vast planet Nubeluca. They take notice of new things too easily." Klaatu took a turn round a corner until his wandering feet brought him to a shopping district. The streets were scarce of activity here as well, but a few cars came along every now and then. Then, walking along, Klaatu saw a shop window that displayed a fine outfit n the window - much like the one that one fellow wore. He went in, looking and studying the window display carefully.

"Can I help ya, stranger?" asked an elderly gentleman, perhaps the owner of the men's store. It was a sports shop, a place that mainly heeded to men's apparel and hobbies.

Klaatu turned, staring down this little man and unnerving him as he did.

"I want to try on this suit."

"Uh…suit? You mean that flannel shirt?"

"Yes. The whole attire. Including the shoes."

"Well," the old man swallowed, "That's just a display there, but if you'll wait right there I'll go and fetch it from the racks." the old man turned to leave him, but he halted, taking a moment to ask the following question. "What size?"

"The exact size as this one." said Klaatu, not really caring to tell the man and merely wanting to send him away.

"Oh, okay then. Just wait there and I'll go get it. You can try it on in the dressing room."

Once the little old man was out of sight and busy plundering through the back, Klaatu undressed the manikin and left the store with the clothes.

"Oh sir, sir?" the old man called, returning with a shoe box in his arms and a flannel jacket strung over his shoulder. "Sir?" He saw him nowhere and when his eyes spotted the naked manikin, the old man dropped all that he held and rushed to the phone, dialing for the police. "Yes, this is Joe…Earl, you aren't gone believe this but I think I've been robbed by a tourist!…What? What's that supposed to mean? I'm not a fool! Ah, forget it!" The frustrated old man threw the phone down and ran out of the store, but he saw the stranger nowhere. "Damn!" he spat before hobbling back inside.

~TTT~

"So," Helen said as she and Jacob trailed down the sidewalks of town, "did you have fun at the beach today?"

"I had so much fun!" Jacob beamed. His hair was damp and his clothes wet and sandy, a towel hugging his body. "Mom, I wanna do that more often."

"Me too." Helen said, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Hey, why don't we go for an ice cream?"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

The two trailed into a colorful little café where they purchased a delightful desert and enjoyed it outside on one of the little tables that lined the sidewalk where blossoming dogwoods lapped and shadowed over them.

~TTT~

"Fish and chips! Come get your fish and chips! Only five ninety five a basket!"

A great line of twenty people waited their turn for the ordering of food at a large cart. The steaming flounder seemed to seep through Klaatu's nostrils and immediately he pushed his way to the front.

"Hey buddy! What the hell do you think you're doing?" a gruff, angry citizen demanded, clutching Klaatu's shoulder and bringing the Alien to fix his gaze upon him.

"I am hungry and need nourishment."

"What are you, some kind of freak?"

"Yeah!" shouted his wife, a stout, chubby female. "Get in the back of the line! We were next here!"

"You will be silent." Klaatu told them.

"Hey look here you little dipstick, you want something to eat? I'll give you something to eat! How's a knuckle sandwich sound?!" The gruff man, still clutching Klaatu's shoulder, clutched his fist and aimed his punch for the Alien's face; but Klaatu caught his fist like a strike of lightning and there he held it in his firm grasp until the frantic man could take the squeeze no more. "Hey, come on man! Let go, please! You can skip ahead of me, I don't care! My wife and me need to diet anyhow!"

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?!" demanded his wife.

Klaatu pushed the man down to his knees and at last he let him go, releasing him also from his sharp, cold glare.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman behind the counter.

"Yes." said Klaatu. "I will take broiled fish."

"It comes with chips."

"I do not want chips."

"I'm sorry sire, they come with the order. You don't have to eat them."

At last, Klaatu nodded and the woman went to prepare his food. When she returned with the paper basket, she told him the price.

"You want anything to drink?"

"No. Can you give me some utensils?"

"Sure, hun." But whilst her back was to him, Klaatu took the food and walked away.

"Let's see, where are those forks."

"Hey! Hey lady!" the loud mouth began again. "He just took off!"

"What?!" the woman asked, leaning over the counter. "Oh my God! Hey! Hey you! Somebody go after him!"

"I'm not going after him. The guy's a lunatic."

"Well, isn't someone gonna go after him? I gotta run this stand!"

No one replied.

~TTT~

"Hey mom,"

"What is it, Jake?"

"After I finish my ice cream, can I go and see if that new game is available in the video store? I wanted to check it out…see if it's as good as everyone claims it is."

"Sure. But while you're doing that, I'm gonna go pick up something for dinner tonight."

"Can we make spaghetti and meat balls?"

"We had that the other night. Why don't I at least make us a pizza instead…if you must have pasta?"

"Pizza sounds good."

"Okay then. I'll go and get that and you can take this five bucks and rent that game if they have it."

"Thanks!"

~TTT~

Helen walked alone now, her purse straddled over her arm. She smiled at each friendly passersby she looked upon and her bright eyes admired all that was around her. It felt at times as if she was taking all of this little town in for the first time, and yet it was so simple compared to New York. Never had she felt so enthused and excited by New York, and this was just a simple little world. Maybe it was the aura here, the positive electric vibes it sent through her mind.

Helen spent little of her time grocery shopping, save for the fifteen minute conversation with one of the overly friendly neighbors she had bumped in to. It happened to be the mother of one of Jacob's new friends and it just so happened that her son, Caleb, was with her.

"Hey Ms. Benson," Caleb interrupted, growing bored with the chattering of his mother. If only he knew how bored Helen was. She loved being a mom, but that didn't mean she wanted to be a clucking old hen.

"Caleb!" his mother scorned. "Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking!"

"I just wanted to ask Ms. Benson where Jacob was…geesh!"

"He's at the video store, Caleb." Helen smiled.

"Well in that case why don't you run along and find him. I don't know how much more of that complaining I can take!" his mother fussed. The boy fled from the store like an animal freed from the boundaries of a cage. Helen couldn't resist chuckling at this. She only hoped that her chance to escape Mrs. Howard would come not a moment too late.

"Well, I really have to go Mrs. Howard. It was so nice talking to you."

"You too Helen." said the woman. "Say, if you don't mind my asking…"

"Yes?"

"Well, I do hate being nosey."

Since when did Mrs. Howard dislike being nosey, Helen thought.

"But, well, it's just that I can't understand why a pretty young thing like you doesn't have a boyfriend. You're such a young woman."

"Mrs. Howard," Helen sighed, a small laugh barely escaping her, "I don't need a relationship to be happy. I'm a very independent woman."

"I know, I know. But I must say, Jonathan Carter at the Library can't keep his eyes off of you. You know, I was in there just yesterday and he was asking me all about you…he's a very fine young man. I think he's only about thirty five."

"Mrs. Howard," Helen said, cutting her off before she could go any further, "I had a husband once…one I loved very much. And even though I'm sure Mr. Carter is a fine man, no one will ever be able to fill the gap. I had something special with my husband, and I don't think I could adjust to another love life. Besides, Jacob and I are too content."

"Oh, well…I guess I'll see you then."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Howard." And with that she left the baffled woman alone in the frozen section.

Helen carried on down the street, crossing the not-so-busy road and pushing on down the sidewalk opposite from whence she had traveled. On her arm dangled a somewhat small bag of groceries - ingredients to make a pizza of course - and her eyes were searching and reading the pages of some interesting magazine she had purchased during checkout. Twas a shame that Helen Benson, a casual woman minding her own business, had no clue whatsoever that she was about to collide with a tall man clad in flannel and jeans.

WAM! They hit like a train and Helen fell to her rump, hitting the pavement quite hard and pouting at the sight of spilt groceries amongst the ground.

"Oh no!" she cried. Her eyes wandered up to the stranger, who looked upon her in almost dismay…or was it shock? She honestly couldn't tell. But wait, this man was no ordinary man, nor was he just some random stranger, and as he looked upon her, this woman plopped upon the ground, it seemed to him that she was no ordinary human being.

"Oh my God." Helen heard herself utter. Her mouth was dry and after each bout of speech it remained open. "Kl - Klaatu."

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**A Further Note From The Author:** Okay, I guess I'll end it here. If you guys caught any grammatical mistakes, please point them out! I was unable to fix them in my previous chapter! Darn! But I'm working up some romantic scenes for the next chapter! Yay!


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